Carol Vadnais career spanned two distinct eras. His NHL career began in the Original Six age and ended in the Gretzky years. Only Wayne Cashman and Serge Savard outlasted Vadnais because their teams had made the playoffs. Vadnais earned Stanley Cup honors with the 1968 Montreal Canadiens and the 1972 Boston Bruins.

Vadnais, a fast skater and good puckhandler, shifted from forward to defense in his final year of junior hockey and the move paid off. A good showing at the Montreal Canadien training camp in the fall of 1966 earned him time with the big club that season. The Canadiens had a deep line-up and left Vadnais unprotected at the spring meeting in 1968, where he was drafted by the Oakland Seals. The Seals, with Vadnais, went from last to second in their division. Later he would be named the team captain.

In 1972 the Canadiens, wanting Vadnais back, entered into a bidding war but lost out to their rival, the Boston Bruins. The Bruins used Vadnais as the offensive force of the second defensive unit while Bobby Orr lead the first pairing. As a result the Bruins rolled to the Stanley Cup.

The following season Vadnais was arrested in Philadelphia when the police mistook him for a suspect wanted in a bank robbery.

The Bruins moved Vadnais in the 1975 trade that sent Phil Esposito to the New York Rangers. He made his last Stanley Cup appearance in 1979 against the Canadiens. In 1982 the New Jersey Devils claimed him in the Waiver Draft. Unfortunately, the Devils frequently paired him with rushing defensemen which was counter his style of play. As a result, Vad was a career low -32 in his final season.

Carol Vadnais went into coaching following his playing career.

REGULAR SEASON

PLAYOFFS

Season

Club

League

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

+/-

GP

G

A

TP

PIM

1963-64

Montreal NDG Monarchs

MMJHL

44

39

49

88

90

17

7

15

22

34

1963-64

Montreal NDG Monarchs

M-Cup

13

13

11

24

12

1964-65

Montreal Jr. Canadiens

OHA-Jr.

56

9

16

25

74

7

1

0

1

13

1965-66

Montreal Jr. Canadiens

OHA-Jr.

48

9

14

23

184

10

1

4

5

24

1966-67

Montreal Canadiens

NHL

11

0

3

3

35

1

0

0

0

2

1966-67

Houston Apollos

CPHL

21

5

5

10

45

1967-68

Montreal Canadiens

NHL

31

1

1

2

31

-2

1

0

0

0

0

1967-68

Houston Apollos

CPHL

36

5

21

26

178

1968-69

Oakland Seals

NHL

76

15

27

42

151

-18

7

1

4

5

10

1969-70

Oakland Seals

NHL

76

24

20

44

212

-24

4

2

1

3

15

1970-71

California Seals

NHL

42

10

16

26

91

-3

1971-72

California Golden Seals

NHL

52

14

20

34

106

-20

1971-72

Boston Bruins

NHL

16

4

6

10

37

+2

15

0

2

2

43

1972-73

Boston Bruins

NHL

78

7

24

31

127

+21

5

0

0

0

8

1973-74

Boston Bruins

NHL

78

16

43

59

123

+35

16

1

12

13

42

1974-75

Boston Bruins

NHL

79

18

56

74

129

+10

3

1

5

6

0

1975-76

Boston Bruins

NHL

12

2

5

7

17

+1

1975-76

New York Rangers

NHL

64

20

30

50

104

-17

1976-77

Canada

Can-Cup

1976-77

New York Rangers

NHL

74

11

37

48

131

-20

1976-77

Canada

WEC-A

10

3

1

4

33

1977-78

New York Rangers

NHL

80

6

40

46

115

-25

3

0

2

2

16

1978-79

New York Rangers

NHL

77

8

37

45

86

+14

18

2

9

11

13

1979-80

New York Rangers

NHL

66

3

20

23

118

-1

9

1

2

3

6

1980-81

New York Rangers

NHL

74

3

20

23

91

+19

14

1

3

4

26

1981-82

New York Rangers

NHL

50

5

6

11

45

-2

10

1

0

1

4

1982-83

New Jersey Devils

NHL

51

2

7

9

64

-32

NHL Totals

1087

169

418

587

1813

106

10

40

50

185

Played in NHL All-Star Game (1969, 1970, 1972, 1975, 1976, 1978)

Claimed by Oakland from Montreal in Intra-League Draft, June 12, 1968. Oakland Seals franchise changed name to California Golden Seals prior to 1970-71 season. Traded to Boston by California with Don O'Donoghue for Reggie Leach, Rick Smith and Bob Stewart, February 23, 1972. Traded to NY Rangers by Boston with Phil Esposito for Brad Park, Jean Ratelle and Joe Zanussi, November 7, 1975. Claimed by New Jersey from NY Rangers in Waiver Draft, October 4, 1982.